Israeli lawmakers Itamar Ben Gvir, center, and Bezalel Smotrich, right, attend the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament, at the Knesset, or parliament, in Jerusalem, Nov. 15, 2022. Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS

i24 News – On the eve of a decisive meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to persuade right-wing ministers in his government to accept a new ceasefire plan with Hamas.

This proposal, which includes a 60-day truce, has generating strong internal tensions, particularly around the partial military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the management of humanitarian aid.

On Saturday, having just returned from Washington, DC, Netanyahu met with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Despite several previous telephone exchanges, this meeting aimed to defuse Smotrich’s opposition, as he is fiercely hostile to any agreement he would see as abandoning the war objective of dismantling Hamas. He demands that fighting resume immediately after the hostages are released.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir shares this hardline stance and rejects any idea of the Israeli army withdrawing from key areas.

On the Palestinian side, negotiations are stalling. A Hamas associate claims that the deadlock is due to Israel’s insistence on maintaining control over 40 percent of Gaza during the truce. An Israeli official rejects this version, accusing Hamas of blocking mediator’s proposal: “If they had accepted the Qatari proposal, we would already be discussing an exit from the conflict.”

Another sensitive issue is the establishment of a “humanitarian city” in Rafah, estimated at costing between $2.6 and $4 billion. Some ministers accuse the army of exaggerating costs to influence strategy. Outrage has emanated from the opposition, as leader Yair Lapid denounces the “headlong rush” over the plan. “With that money, we could ease the burden on Israeli families. Netanyahu is letting Smotrich and Ben Gvir fantasize to preserve his coalition. We need to end this war and bring the hostages back.”

For now, no consensus appears to be emerging, even as diplomatic and humanitarian pressure continues to mount.

The post Netanyahu Tries to Rally Support From Right Wing for Gaza Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht “Madleen” is docked in Ashdod port following a takeover by the Israeli army, in Ashdod, Israel, June 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nir Elias

i24 News – A new boat from the “Freedom Flotilla,” the Handala, left Syracuse in Sicily this Sunday, bound for the Gaza Strip.

Loaded with medical supplies, food, equipment for children, and medicine, this former Norwegian trawler is carrying around fifteen pro-Palestinian activists. The objective is to “break the Israeli blockade” and provide humanitarian aid to Gazans in need.

The departure, which was celebrated by dozens of people at the dock waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine,” comes six weeks after Israel intercepted a previous ship, the Madleen, which was carrying, among others, Greta Thunberg and European Union parliamentarian Rima Hassan. The Handala will stop in Gallipoli, Turkey where Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau, two other lawmakers from Hassan’s party, France Insoumise, will join the expedition on July 18. The former is a parliamentarian in France, while the latter serves alongside Hassan in the European Union assembly.

“This is a mission for the children of Gaza, to break the blockade and the silence about the genocide,” said Cathala, denouncing a possible “yet another violation of international law” if the boat is stopped.

Funded by donations, this initiative aims to support the population of Gaza. “We want to show international solidarity,” explained Claude Léostic, the French coordinator of the flotilla.

The post New ‘Freedom Flotilla’ Sets Sail to Try Breaking Gaza Blockade first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Illustrative: Israeli soldiers work at an impact site following Iran’s missile strike on Israel, in Be’er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

i24 News – The Embassy of the Philippines in Israel announced on Sunday that Leah Mosquera, a citizen of the Philippines working in Israel, had passed away after being wounded in an Iranian missile attack last month.

Mosquera was taken to Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov after being hurt on the June 15 attack that hit Rehovot. She underwent several surgeries in an attempt to save her life over the following weeks. Joy, the sister of the 49-year-old caretaker who also works in Israel as a caretaker, approved releasing news of her passing to the public.

Mosquera is the 30th fatality in Israel after Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, responding to strikes against the regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs that saw hundreds of top commander eliminated.

The post Filipina Caretaker Hurt in Iranian Barrage Succumbs to Wounds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.